Last season: 61-21, best record in the Western Conference. But they struggled against big lineups and so drawing Memphis in the first round was trouble. The Spurs were eliminated fast.

Head Coach: Gregg Popovich, entering his 16th year at the helm of the Spurs. But he remains as cranky as ever.

Key Departures: George Hill, who played well for them off the bench.

Key Additions: Kawhi Leonard, T.J. Ford

Best case scenario: The over-the-hill gang is back for one more run at it — this is a team that wants a ring and the best case scenario is they get it. One more shot at the glory.

For that to happen: They are going to have to get some athletes and get more size of front. The Spurs are going to be very good in the regular season — it is hard to contain Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. And Parker looked very good at the European Championships his past summer. But the Memphis Grizzlies exposed the Spurs — they do not have the size to contain a big lineup. Like Memphis. Or the Lakers.

Maybe Tiago Splitter has a breakout year and maybe DeJuan Blair takes a step forward, but they need more inside play from somewhere to counter the big teams. It can’t just be Tim Duncan (who is still very good but is not Superman).

More likely the Spurs will: Be the more offensive-minded team they were last year, they will be quite good, and they will last in the playoffs until they run into a big roster. May be first round, may be second, but eventually size will wear them down.

I am looking forward to seeing if Kawhi Leonard can give them the athleticism and youth they need in the roster. I’m curious to see how much Pop trusts a rookie on the floor.

The other question out there is how this older team deals with the condensed schedule. They used to rest Tim Duncan on one end of a back-to-back, can they do that this year? How will Popovich deal with the minutes?

Prediction: 44-22 and a nice playoff seed again, but they may will not get out of the first round again.

I don’t remember playing tonight. I didn’t play. Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job. If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. If a doctor botches operations, he’s not a doctor anymore. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.

Like it or not, motivation is part of an NBA coach’s job.

But that’s also precisely what Popovich is doing.

His credentials dwarf any other coach’s. He can play to his own ego and absolve himself of responsibility – and players will seek to please him. His years of success have earned him the ability to motivate this way, a method no other coach could use without alienating his team.

So, why not hold Motiejunas to what became a four-year, $31 million offer sheet once matched? Houston got something in return – a later trigger date on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ 2017-18 salary. Originally, that decision had to be made March 1 – which would’ve meant dropping Motiejunas from the team this season to prevent his salary from counting next season. Now, the Rockets can make that call in July, after this season is complete.

The following two Julys, Houston will also have a choice on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ upcoming salary or dropping him.

Essentially, Motiejunas is signing the most lucrative Hinkie Special in NBA history. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Rockets have Motiejunas at an affordable rate. If he struggles or his back injuries flare up, they can drop him with little to no penalty.

After they backed themselves into this corner, Motiejunas and his agent, B.J. Armstrong, didn’t do so bad. Considering the similarity between this contract and the Nets’ original offer sheet, it seems Houston helped Armstrong save face after a bungled free agency (which is easier to accept when you’re adding a talented reserve to a formidable team).

But for how little is guaranteed and how much control the Rockets hold over the next four years, wouldn’t Motiejunas have been better off accepting the $4,433,683 qualifying offer?

This means Motiejunas can’t sign with the Nets, who signed him to the original offer sheet, for one year.

I bet it also means Motiejunas and Houston have agreed to a new contract. Otherwise, why release him from the offer sheet? The Rockets would be giving up a tremendous amount of leverage out of the goodness of their hearts – unless this is just a prelude to a new deal with Houston.